BLOG 22 — The Gut–Autoimmune Connection: Why Your Immune System Is Misfiring
When Your Immune System Attacks You — It Often Starts in the Gut
Autoimmune symptoms are one of the most misunderstood medical issues in Arizona — especially among adults who have tried everything but still don’t feel like themselves.
I can’t tell you how many times a patient tells me:
“My doctors say everything looks normal, but I feel awful.”
Fatigue.
Joint pain.
Brain fog.
Rashes.
Bloating.
Constipation or diarrhea.
Unexplained weight gain or weight loss.
Here’s the truth that changed my own health story:
70–80% of your immune system lives in the gut.
If the gut is unhappy, your immune system becomes confused, overactive, or misdirected.
This is often the missing piece in autoimmune treatment — and the reason I do this work.
How Gut Health Triggers Autoimmune Disease
1. Leaky gut = immune activation
When the gut lining becomes permeable:
Food particles
Bacterial fragments
Toxins
leak into the bloodstream and the immune system panics.
This chronic activation is the foundation of many autoimmune conditions.
2. Dysbiosis confuses the immune system
Low levels of key bacteria like Akkermansia or Bifido weaken immune regulation.
This creates:
Inflammation
Overreaction
Immune miscommunication
3. Gut infections trigger flares
On GI-MAP testing, many autoimmune patients show:
H. pylori
Candida
SIBO markers
Parasites
High inflammatory proteins
We’re not guessing — we’re measuring.
4. Stress weakens gut integrity
And Arizona stress is real.
Heat + work + family + commutes all impact the gut-brain-immune axis.
Why Traditional Approaches Fall Short
Medication may reduce symptoms…
But it doesn’t fix:
gut inflammation
gut permeability
microbiome imbalance
nutrient deficiencies
hormone disruption
And until those are addressed…
autoimmune symptoms often return.
DIY Gut-Immune Support Tips
1. Start a “gut-friendly morning”
Warm water + gentle stretching before food.
2. Eat one fermented food per day (if tolerated)
Yogurt
Kimchi
Sauerkraut
Kefir
(Note: If it increases symptoms, it’s a sign the gut needs professional guidance.)
3. Increase cooked vegetables
Especially carrots, zucchini, squash, spinach.
4. Cut inflammatory oils
Avoid seed oils when possible; choose olive or avocado oil.
5. Practice the “4-7-8” breathing method nightly
Calms immune activation through the gut-brain axis.
Your Immune System Isn’t Broken — It’s Responding
You deserve a team that looks deeper, not one that tells you you’re fine when you don’t feel fine.
Autoimmune healing begins in the gut — and that’s exactly where I focus.
